Hydraulic valve device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a hydraulic valve device, especially in the form of at least one load sensing valve, comprising a valve housing ( 10 ), a control slide ( 12 ) arranged in a longitudinally mobile manner and used to control a fluid connection arrangement ( 14 ) comprising a plurality of connection points, at least one control pressure line (PST), and at least one supply pressure line (Y). At least for a load sensing connection (LS), a pocket-type channel ( 18 ) is arranged between the valve housing ( 10 ) and the control slide ( 12 ), for a control pressure line (P ST ) and a supply pressure line (Y), and this enables the already available ring channel of the load sensing message chain to also be used on an axial point of the control slide axle of, thereby reducing cost and space.

The invention relates to a hydraulic valve device, in particular in the form of at least one LS directional valve, with a valve housing and a control slide arranged to be moveable therein in the longitudinal direction for triggering a fluid connection arrangement consisting of at least

-   -   one inlet connection P     -   one return connection R     -   one load sensing connection LS,     -   one working connection A, B and,         with at least one control pressure line P_(ST) and with at least         one supply pressure line Y.

These hydraulic valve devices are known in a plurality of embodiments. Thus, for example, DE 199 19 014 A1 describes a hydraulic valve with an interlocking and a floating function, with a housing bore into which a switching channel that is to be randomly supplied with pressure discharges, on both sides of which a respective connecting channel, which can be connected via a control valve to a pressure source and a tank, and on both sides outside of which one motor channel at a time discharge for connection of a hydraulic motor, and in which there are two pistons which between themselves form a separating chamber connecting to the switching channel, and on both sides outside of which one spring loaded blocking valve at a time is located which, under the influence of pressure in the adjacent connecting channel or as a result of axial displacement of the adjacent piston, opens to the pertinent motor channel, blocking valves having closure pieces that are guided in the indicated bore and that border on the side facing away from the valve seat, one spring chamber at a time containing a blocking valve spring, and each spring chamber being depressurized by way of an auxiliary valve that opens by axial displacement of the adjacent piston toward a tank connection T. With the known solution, the result is that, when the spring chamber is depressurized as the auxiliary valve opens by the adjacent piston, it is ensured that the closure piece of the pertinent blocking valve opens reliably and completely.

WO 2006/105765 A1 discloses an LS directional valve with two valve slides coaxially disposed to one another that are guided in a valve bore, which valve slides are tensioned toward one another in a base position via a centering spring arrangement, and which can be moved apart from one another for setting a specific slide position out of the base position in which two adjacent face surfaces of the valve slide adjoin one another or are adjacent to one another without interposition of elastic support elements that can be moved jointly for setting other operating positions, and the face surfaces for movement into the slide position can be exposed to a common control pressure which also acts on the backward control surfaces of the valve slides, which surfaces are made with a smaller active surface and which are located away from the face surfaces. In the known solution, therefore, setting into a predetermined slide position takes place based on the area difference, the face surfaces and the control surfaces being exposed to the same control pressure so that the channel duct is simplified compared to conventional solutions and electrical components, for example, in the form of the plunger of an electromagnet acting directly on the valve slide, are not necessary.

Proceeding from this prior art, the object of the invention is to devise a structurally simple valve device, which, viewed particularly in the direction of the control slide axis, has a small structure and manages with few deployable components and is thus especially reliable. This object is achieved by a valve device with the features of claim 1 in its entirety.

In that, according to the characterizing part of claim 1, at least for a load sensing connection LS, for a control pressure line P_(ST), and a supply pressure line Y there is a pocket-like channel between the valve housing and control slide, at an axial position of the control slide axis, the existing annular channel of the load sensing reporting chain can additionally be used; this helps reduce the components which are to be used within the valve device and thus saves installation space. As a result of the small number of operating components, the solution according to the invention is also less susceptible to faults and wear so that in this respect reliable and long-lasting operation is ensured.

In one especially preferred embodiment of the valve device according to the invention, the indicated annular channel in the housing is divided into three pairs of pockets which are independent of one another and which are symmetrically distributed on the periphery relative to the longitudinal axis of the control slide. The first pair of pockets assumes the function of relaying the LS pressure from the control slide into the LS reporting chain in the valve housing. The second pair of pockets is continuously connected to the control pressure line P_(ST) and the third pair of pockets which is connected to the supply pressure line Y can be connected via the possible control slide stroke to the second pair of pockets and this space-saving arrangement allows a plurality of hydraulic functions to be performed. While in the known solutions the load sensing connection LS, the control pressure line P_(ST), and the supply pressure line Y in the valve housing of the control slide are routed separately and perform their functions spatially separately from one another, these functional groups are combined at one location in the valve housing at the transition site to the control slide; this also benefits short switching and actuating times. Due to the laminar flow configuration within the pocket-like channels, a uniform, reliable fluid flow is ensured.

Other advantageous embodiments of the valve device according to the invention are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.

The hydraulic valve device according to the invention is detailed below using two exemplary embodiments as shown in the drawings. The figures are schematic and not to scale.

FIG. 1 shows, as a schematic, the basic structure of the valve device as a longitudinal section through the valve housing with the pertinent control slide including other hydraulic operating components;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective corresponding to FIG. 1 for the valve housing with the integrated control slide without other operating components;

FIG. 3 shows a section along line III-III in FIG. 1, only through the valve housing and not through the control slide;

FIG. 4 shows the inner part of the control slide as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with its equalization channels;

FIG. 5 shows a section along line A-A in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows in the manner of an unrolled jacket surface the control slide as shown in FIG. 4 with the equalization channels detailed, and

FIG. 7 shows, as a schematic section, a modified embodiment of the hydraulic valve device with two adjacent directional valves.

The hydraulic valve device according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1 in its basic structure. FIG. 1, however, is simplified in that it does not detail the other valve components as are conventionally included in these hydraulic valve devices and as are shown, for example, in DE 199 19 014 A1 and WO 2006/105765 A1. The valve device is designed, in particular, as an LS directional valve with a valve housing 10 and a control slide 12 located therein with the capacity to move in the longitudinal direction for triggering a fluid connection arrangement designated as a whole as 14, consisting of at least one inlet connection P, one return connection R, one load sensing connection LS, one working connection A, B, and with a control pressure line P_(ST) and a supply pressure line Y.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet connection P is present twice and forms the conventional pressure supply connection, i.e., by means of a hydraulic pump, which is not detailed, the valve device can be supplied with a definable amount of pressurized fluid. There are also two working connections A, B which, for example, are dynamically connected to carry fluid with a working means of a hydraulic device which is not detailed, for example, in the form of a hydraulic steering or working cylinder, in order to allow this hydraulic cylinder to be extended and retracted for operational activity.

As is especially apparent from the left half of FIG. 1 in the direction of looking at the figure, for the load sensing connection LS and for the control pressure line P_(ST), as well as the pressure supply line Y, there is at least one pocket-like channel 18 between the valve housing 10 and the control slide 12. How the channel duct runs, in particular in the valve housing 12, follows from the section as shown in FIG. 3. The indicated pocket-like channels 18 are arranged around the control slide 12 at uniform radial distances, viewed in the indicated cross section. The pocket-like channels are divided into three pairs of pockets which are independent of one another, the first pair of pockets performing the function of relaying the LS pressure from the control slide 12 into the LS reporting chain 20 in the housing. The second pair of pockets is permanently connected to the control pressure line P_(ST) (control oil circuit). The third pair of pockets which relays the Y fluid pressure via the supply line Y can be connected to the second pair of pockets by way of the control slide stroke.

It applies to all pairs of pockets that, for reasons of symmetry, each pair partner is diametrically opposite the other partner, relative to the longitudinal axis of the control slide 12, in the adjacent valve housing 10. Furthermore, it applies that only one pocket at a time always has a relay connection into the housing 10. For symmetrical pressure loading of the control slide 12, it has pressure equalization connections from the connected housing pocket of one pair to the opposite housing pocket which forms only one sealed pressure chamber; this will be detailed below. The pressure equalization connections therefore always connect only one pair of pockets to one another without crossing. The orientation of the pressure equalization connections in the control slide 12 to the indicated pairs of housing pockets in the form of longitudinal channels 18 is maintained by a mechanical anti-rotation element of the slide 12 to the housing 10, which element is not detailed.

Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows that the pocket-like channels 18, which are arranged parallel to the displacement axis of the control slide 12, are routed as longitudinal channels in the valve housing 10, specifically, viewed three-dimensionally between the inlet connection P, which is at the left in the direction of looking at FIG. 1, and the left chamber 22 for the trigger pressure of the control slide in order to move it into the right-hand position. The trigger chamber is made pressure-tight by a trigger head which is not shown. In the float position of the control slide shown here, the left trigger chamber is unpressurized and the right chamber is exposed to the trigger pressure. The illustrated pockets for pressures LS, P_(ST), and Y are made in the wall of the control slide bore. For the sake of simplicity, viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1, to the left, the projection of the control slide piston in the illustrated float position is omitted; as a rule, the control slide projects by roughly ⅓ of the length measured between the fluid supply site 22 and the pressure supply connection P on the left side with the same peripheral diameter.

As furthermore follows from FIG. 4, in the control slide 12, each pocket-like longitudinal channel 18 is assigned an equalization channel 24, said channels being separated fluid-tight from one another and undertaking pressure equalization for each assignable pair of pockets, at least for some of the equalization channels 24, their differing from one another in terms of their fluid accommodation volume, for example, due to the length of the channel duct. Pressure equalization of the pairs of pockets in the form of longitudinal channels 18 with one another takes place first by radial bores as a type of equalization channel 24 in the control slide 12. These bores, however, should not cross so as to carry fluid, otherwise, separate pressure levels cannot be sealed in the individual pocket-like channels 18. Within the control slide 12, therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 a type of labyrinth pin 26 is inserted whose jacket surface bears the equalization channels 24 (compare FIG. 6) in order to enable these noncrossing connections at all. The radial pressure equalization bores in the control slide 12 each end on the jacket surface of the labyrinth pin 26 except for the load sensing bores LS_(A); they run directly through a vertical labyrinth duct in the labyrinth pin 26 from one side directly to the diametrically opposite other side relative to the longitudinal axis of the pin 26. The bores of the load sensing line LS_(B) in turn end at an annular groove and pass between the through holes via two longitudinal grooves. Additional details of the equalization channel duct 24 can be taken from FIG. 6. Furthermore, the otherwise cylindrical labyrinth pin 26 is routed in a cylindrical internal recess of the control slide 12 which is provided to the outside with load sensing and load reporting connections 27 for the working connections A, B.

The cross section shown in FIG. 3, in terms of its axial position, is at the level of the pockets P_(ST), LS and Y. The indicated pockets in the form of longitudinal channels 18 can be produced by metal cutting by way of a radially dipping cutter. As already described, two opposite pockets at a time as one pair of pockets have the same pressure level. Furthermore, one of the pockets in the form of a longitudinal channel 18 of one pair has a line connection into the housing 10. Thus, for example, the control oil line P_(ST) could be connected overhead, the Y-connection at 10 o'clock and the LS connection at 8 o'clock, if a clock face were applied, figuratively speaking, to FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 is further explained below to the extent that additional hydraulic or fluid components are connected to the valve device. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 between the control slide 12 and the working connection A in the direction of the hydraulic consumer, there is a seat-tight check valve 28. It is held by a compression spring 30 in the closed position as shown in FIG. 1, and two additional control units 32 in the form of pressure-configured actuation means can effect the switching process for the check valve 28. Furthermore, the so-called spring side of the check valve 28 is permanently connected via a throttle 34 to the load pressure of the working connection A. The other hydraulic functional component is a pilot valve 26 which can be opened by way of a Y-switching pressure in the pertinent pressure supply line Y. If the indicated Y pressure is switched through by way of the control slide 12, the Y pressure acts on the large opening surface against the load pressure on a small closing surface, according to the design, the opening force from Y and the opening surface exceeding the maximum closing force. When the pilot valve 36 is opened then a continuous control oil flow then flows from the load of the hydraulic consumer on the working connection A via the throttle 34 and via the pilot valve 36 into a tank connection T. On the throttle 34, such a high pressure occurs that the spring side of the seat-tight check valve 28 drops to a pressure level near the tank pressure. Now the load pressure on the opposite side of the spring can overcome the resulting force from it and the low pressure force and can lift the seat piston (not shown) as part of the hydraulic consumer.

The control slide 12 is shown in FIG. 1 in the so-called float position in which the inlet connection P is blocked and the working connections A and B are connected to the return R. The opening pressure Y, derived from the control pressure P_(ST), in this position is switched through to the pilot valve 36 and unlocks the indicated pilot valve 36. In FIG. 1, however, for the sake of simplicity, the pilot valve 36 and the check valve 28 are shown in the closed position. The opening pressure Y can be selectively produced for a pilot-operated check valve on connection A or B or for both. Furthermore, it is possible to integrate at least the pilot-operated check valve 28 into the slide axis to save space. Furthermore, the control slide 12 could have integrated switching or proportional valves which are precontrolled with the pressures generated outside the control axis or vice versa, it would be possible, for the valves integrated in the control slide, to route a control pressure into the housing 10 without lengthening of the valve axis and therefore increasing the overall length of the valve device in the cases described here.

In addition, with the hydraulic valve device, mechanical emergency actuation is possible by unblocking being attainable by way of the movement of the control slide 12. To prevent friction forces and wear, a mechanical ramp solution located on the slide for striking the pilot plunger of the check valve is ruled out. But rather the control oil pressure for supply of electroproportional pilot valves can be used in order to open the pilot valve 36 of the pilot-operated check valve 28.

The other exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 7 is only explained to the extent that it differs essentially from the preceding embodiment. In particular, FIG. 7 shows the arrangement, viewed in cross section, of two directional valves as shown in FIG. 3 in a sectional construction for implementation of a type of safety circuit by the mutual release of the control oil supply for the left adjacent valve 38 and the right adjacent valve 40 which are both enclosed on the edge side by the standard valve components 42. Only in the neutral position of the left adjacent valve 38 is the control oil pressure P_(ST) switched through to the supply line VL of the right adjacent valve 40. In the operating position, this connection is interrupted by the control slide stroke of the left adjacent valve 38 and the electrohydraulic pilot valves of the right adjacent valve 40 cannot build up a trigger pressure. Even with electrical triggering of the right adjacent valve 40, it cannot be actuated as soon as the left adjacent valve 38 moves into the operating position. The same applies to the reverse trigger sequence. Here, in turn, the operation of the pairs of pockets is such that pressure equalization is implemented on the control slide 12 by the installed labyrinth pin 26 with the channel connections on its jacket surface (FIG. 6).

In summary, therefore, the solution as shown in FIG. 7 yields a type of safety circuit with two adjacent directional valves. The coaxial arrangement of the movable valve components (control slide 12) can completely obviate the necessity of using additional directional valve axles or externally mounted hydraulic line valves and compared to electrical safety means, which may be fault-susceptible, reliable hydraulic interlocking becomes possible. With this solution, in particular, high safety requirements for forces can be met because, in addition to an electrical safety circuit, there is also a redundant hydraulic safety circuit. 

1. A hydraulic valve device, in particular in the form of at least one LS directional valve, with a valve housing (10) and a control slide (12) arranged to be moveable therein in the longitudinal direction for triggering a fluid connection arrangement (14) consisting of at least one inlet connection (P) one return connection (R) one load sensing connection (LS), one working connection (A,B) and with at least one control pressure line (P_(ST)) and with at least one supply pressure line (Y), characterized in that at least for a load sensing connection (LS), for a control pressure line (P_(ST)), and a supply pressure line (Y), there is a pocket-like channel (18) between the valve housing (10) and control slide (12).
 2. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that pocket-like channels (18) are arranged around the control slide (12) at uniform radial distances, viewed in cross section through the valve housing (10) and control slide (12).
 3. The valve device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pocket-like channels (18) arranged parallel to the displacement axis of the control slide (12) are routed as longitudinal channels in the valve housing (10), specifically, viewed three-dimensionally, between the inlet connection (P) and the pressure space for the trigger pressure of the control slide (12).
 4. The valve device according to claim 2, characterized in that pocket-like channels (18), which are diametrically opposite one another to the longitudinal axis of the valve housing (10), are assigned in pairs to the load sensing connection (LS), the control pressure line (P_(ST)), and the supply pressure line (Y).
 5. The valve device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the control slide (12), each pocket-like longitudinal channel (18) is assigned an equalization channel (24) which are separated fluid-tight from one another and undertake pressure equalization for one pocket pair, and that at least some of the equalization channels (24) differ from one another in terms of their fluid accommodation volume.
 6. The valve device according to claim 3, characterized in that for constant orientation of pressure equalization connections to one another, formed from the longitudinal channels (18) and the assigned equalization channels (24), there is a mechanical anti-locking element between the control slide (12) and the valve housing (10).
 7. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that, between a hydraulic consumer and an assignable working connection (A, B), there is a check valve (28) which can be controlled by a pilot valve (36) that is connected for its triggering to the supply pressure line (Y).
 8. The valve device according to claim 1, characterized in that for implementation of a safety circuit, at least two directional valves are interconnected to one another in a sectional construction such that at least the respective supply pressure line (Y) of each directional valve can be connected to supply lines (VL) of at least one electrohydraulic pilot valve (36). 